How it began
Applying many years of experience, we noticed that there were gaps and limitations in how many international development programs were created.
The Integrated Fund was designed to illustrate that there could be a better, more sustainable way to empower a community to make large and lasting strides towards lifting its community members out of poverty.
Our work
Launched in partnership with Capital for Good, our nonprofit partner, we developed the fund’s strategic approach to focus on three core components:
- Blended Capital. We’re allocating grants, loans, and impact investments to companies, entrepreneurs, and organizations to provide the kind of funding and support needed at various stages of growth. The use of blended capital allows for philanthropic dollars to do more than traditional grant-exclusive programs.
- Integrated Sectors. Improving a community requires tackling various sectors at the same time. While many international development programs integrate pieces of different sectors, the Integrated Fund is focusing on the economic, health, and education sectors simultaneously in ways that support mutual improvements.
- Concentrated Impact. With the goal of empowering and creating long-term impact in a community, the fund is investing in multiple initiatives in a targeted geographical area over ten years. We selected Gulu, Uganda as the first location given its post-conflict needs, high youth population, and potential for impact.
Our work for the Integrated Fund has also included:
- Securing initial funding to launch the fund
- Identifying potential investment opportunities and partners
- Conducting a mapping process to identify needs and gaps
- Creating fund marketing materials
- Developing an initial three-year program strategy
